Alex Stone

Biography

Ever since his father bought him a magic kit at the venerable age of five, Alex Stone has seldom left home without a deck of cards and three Kennedy half dollars. Plunging headfirst into New York’s underground magic scene, he discovered a fascinating cast of characters—from his gruff mentor, who held court in the back of a rundown pizza shop, to one of the world’s greatest card cheats, who also happened to be blind—and perfected his craft. Read More >

Stone recounts his quest to join the ranks of master magicians in Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind, a book about the underground world of magic and its ties to psychology, neuroscience, physics, mathematics, gambling, and crime. As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture, he pulls back the curtain on a community shrouded in secrecy, fueled by obsession and brilliance, and organized around a single overriding need: to prove one’s worth by deceiving others.

In his keynotes, Stone shares his unique insights into human nature, garnered from years of watching magicians manipulate our minds to create astonishing illusions. He uncovers startling revelations on the nature of perception and on how the mind works—and why, sometimes, it doesn’t.

Alex Stone has written for The New York Times, Harper’s, Discover, Science, The Wall Street Journal, and The Huffington Post. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English and has a master’s in physics from Columbia University. Read Less ^

Speaker Videos

Cognitive Blindness

How the Mind Creates False Memories

Hidden Powers of the Mind

Speech Topics

Fooling Houdini: The Hidden Powers of the Mind

Testimonials

"Alex was an amazing speaker and performer. We used him for a yearly sales meeting. He was professional, entertaining and creative."

- American Express Publishing

"Alex Stone presents a wonderful mix of cutting-edge science, humor, and pure magic; and our audience was mesmerized. "Fooling Houdini" was one of the best programs of our fall series!"

- Mind Science Foundation

"Alex is one of those rare individuals who can capture the curiosity and the emotions of his audience in equal measure. His humor, intelligence, and downright joy allow him to shine light on topics that range from the scientific to the surreal. His real magic goes beyond the cards and coins and teaches us to consider the extraordinary with an eye toward simplicity and the simple with an eye toward the extraordinary. In so doing, he taps right into the pulse of what it is to be a powerful storyteller."

- Edelman PR

"Alex Stone is a gifted young writer, teacher, and accomplished magician. He uses stunning acts of wizardry with coin and cards, many of which involve direct interaction with audience members, to propel a narrative that connects with (among other things) contemporary scientific research in attention, perception, illusion, memory, and cognition. A fascinating, intimate journey into the world of close-up magic. Amazing! Not to be missed!"

- Emory University

"Alex Stone took us on a wondrous and brain-tingling ride, as he dazzled us with his sleight of hand, and then explained some of the math and neuroscience behind why we were so readily duped. A delightful and scintillating performance!"

- Light in Winter Festival

"Little did I realize when I invited Alex Stone to speak about "Fooling Houdini" as part of the Science Track at the 2012 Decatur Book Festival that I would be treating my audience to an event that would be a delightful mixture of book talk, prestidigitation, and stand-up comedy, keeping the capacity crowd of 300 people engaged, amazed, and amused. After about 45 minutes it all ended too soon. Next time around I plan on booking a large theater for an evening."